Mail chute



March 31, 1931. Q DOBB|N 1,798,868 i MAIL CHUTE Filed April 24, 1930 5f gigli, 3 36 55 ,53' .I

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l IIIIIIIIIIIIIHII||I|I||IIIIIIHHIIIIIIIllI|||||l||IIIIIIIIIHIIIIIII| INVENTOR 6m ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE N CHARLES DOBBIN,` OLE*` BROOKLYN, NEW` YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNITEDSTATES MAIL CHUTE CORPORATION, `OF NEW YORK, N. `Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MAIL CHUTE l Application filed April 24, 1930. Serial 446,846.

j This invention relates to a mail Chute or a conduit made to extend from the upper to the lower floor of a building and by means of which letters, orother matter for the mail,

may be placed in the chute on any loor and permitted to drop to a letter box or other receptacle provided for this purpose on the first licor, or basement, or other place in the building. In mail chutes of the type to which my invention relates it has been customary to employ a plurality of channel members which interit with each other at the ends thereof, and to also employ removable l panels which are suitably supported and the parts maintained in their operative positions by a band surrounding the same and locked in place to prevent unauthorized persons from tampering with the chute. The construction of the apparatus to which the invention more particularly relates is also such that upon unlocking the band the panel members may be removed to clear the chute when necessary, or for other purposes.

N ow in an apparatus ol this kind it has been found that in removing the panel members the interitting parts of the channel l members become disconnected and it is more l or less difficult after the chute has been installed to restore these channel members to "o their proper positions in their necessary relationship to one another. The object of my invention is to overcome this ditiiculty and to so construct the channel members and conneet them to one another in the installation of the apparatus that they cannot become diS- connected or deranged when it is necessary to remove the panel members for clearing the chute, or any other purpose. `To this end in carrying out the invention the adjacent ends of the channel members are interitted and one channel member, preferably an upper channel member, is provided with a device for engaging the adjacent portion V of a lower channel member ,in such a manner that they cannot become disassociated from one another, as will be hereinafter more particularly described.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a sectional plan 5G illustrating a mail chute made in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2- l2, Fig. l, and

` Fig. 3 is arsectional elevation on line 3-3,

Fig. '1.

Referring to the drawing it will be seen that incarrying out the invention the mail chute made in accordance therewith is constructed to include a plurality of channel membersmade of sheet metal, or other similar material, and tobe placed so that"'the lower end of one channel member iswithin the uper end of the neXt adjacent lowerohannel member. In the drawing one channel member is indicated at l0 and another chan` nel member is indicated at 11. Each of these channel members is constructed to include a back` 12 and sides 13 and 14. j The mail chute proper is completed by employing a panel withV each of the channel members. These panels are preferably made of plate glass fitted with` a suitable frame of metal', or othermateiial.

As illustrated the panel associated with the channel lcomprises a "glass plate 15 and a metal frame 16; The panel associated with the channel 11 comprises a glass plate 17` and a' metal frame 18. j l T The interfitting ends of the successive channel members are preferably located at` a suitable distance above each Hoor of a building and between the same and the ceiling.` At the juncture 'point between' the channel members the chute includes a band. This band is preferably made of metal and comprises a back member 19,` side members' 20 and 21, a front member 22, which at one by means of whichthe arm 24 and conse` quently the front member 22 are secured in place `to maintain the parts of thechute inl their assembledpositions. As illustrated this band may include a cross bar 27 pivotally mounted at one end in the arm 20 and adaptpivotally connected, as indicated ed at its opposite end to engage the arm 21 so that when in place it functions to support the panel comprising the plate 15 and the frame 16. This construction is more particularly shown and described in my application Serial No. 868,774, filed June 6th, 1929. c

The front member of the band is preferably constructed to include an offset 28 in theupper portion of which there is a letterv slot 29 for the admission of letters or other matter for the mail. 4

Beneath the letter slot there is a pivotally mounted spring actuated iiap 30, or other equivalent device, for normally maintaining the slot closed. The lower end of the frame 16 of the panel associated with the channel 10 is preferably provided with an apron 31 depending from the frame sufficiently far to extend below the latter slot 29 in order to prevent letters when inserted through the slot from interfering with letters which may be simultaneously descending through the channel member 10. The band member may be secured to wall plates 32, or directly to the wall by means of screws 33 or otherwise. The lower -end of each channel member is provided with a device for engaging the upper end of the next adjacent channel member. For example, as illustrated the channel member 10 may be fitted with a plate 34 adapted to lie within a recess 35 provided therefor in the back 19 of the band member and the plate 34 provided with an offset or hook Aportion 36 forming a pocket between the same `and the adjacent outer surface of the back ofthe panel member for the reception of a portion of theupper end of the back member of the channel 11, in order, as will be understood, to permanently fix the channel members to one another at their interengaging ends and thereby prevent either one or both of these channel members from becoming dislodged during the removal of the panels which are associated. therewith. Of course, it will be understood that any suitable means equivalent to the plate 34 may be employed for. this purpose and that the plate, for example, may be associated with the lower rather than the upper chute member and constructed so as to engage the upper channel member and conneet the parts one to the other'without departing from the nature and spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mail chute, a lower channel member,y

an upper channel member A having its lower end fitting within the upper end of the lower channel member, a locls*` band surrounding the interengaging ends of the channel members and having a recess in the back member thereof, and aplate having an offset portion for engaging the upper tain the channel members in their operative relationship one to another, the said plate and its offset portion being adapted to lie within the said recess in the back of the said lock band.

2. In a mail chute, a lower channel member, an upper channel member having its lower end fitting within the upper end of the lower channel member, a band associated with said interengaging ends of the channel members, said band comprising a stationary portion having a recess therein, and a pivotable portion having a locking means mounted thereon, a plate having an off-set portion for engaging the upper end of the lower channel member to maintain the channel members in their operative relationship one to another, the said plate being locked within the recess of the stationary portion of the band when the pivotable portion is in its closed position.

Signed by me this 24th day of March, 1930.

CHAS. DOBBIN.

lend of the lower channel member to main- I 

